Condenser for zinc vapors.



M. APPEL- UONDENSER FOE ZINC VAPORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25,1913.

Patented July 14, 1914,

' 4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I I v h r//- I z WITNESSES Z INVENTOR ATTORNEYS M. APPEL.

CONDENSER FOR ZINC VAPORS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1913.

1,103,123. Patented July 14,1911

if? i L i i@ w 9 6 i I /J I INVEI VTOR MWWW 9 ATTORNEYS M. APPEL.

CONDENSER FOR ZINC VAPORS.

Patented July 14, 1914 i "INVENTOR M553 fiki z Br v ATTORNEYS wim ssss W2? M. APPEL.

CONDENSER FOR ZINC VAPORS. APPLICATION FILEDQEPT. 25, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

A TTORIVE Y 8 UNITED "i STATES PATENT OFFICE..-

mosns APPEL, F JOHNSTOW1\T,' PENNSYLVANIA.--

CONDENSER FOB. ZINC 'VAPORS. 1

Specification Ilet ters Patent. Patented-July 14,1914.

Application filed September 25, 1918. Serial No. 791,878.

. densers for Zinc Vapors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements for condensers in connection with the production of zinc, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described'and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provlde a device which is designed to be used preferably with an electric furnace forcondensing the zinc Vapors which are driven'off by the furnace." I

A further object of my invention-is to providea device in which the condensation takes place through the medium of air or gas cooled tubes in which the flow of air or gas can be easily regulated.

Other objects'and advantages Will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the device will be'particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application in which Figure 1 is a section through a condenser constructed according to my invention,

Fig. 2 is a section "alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 4, Fig. 4* is a section on the line 4:4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5'is a vertical section through a modifiedform of the device, Fig. 6 is a section at right angles to Fig. 5 through the modified form, and Fig. 7 is a section through another modified form of the device." 7

The description of this condenser ,is as used for the condensing of zinc vapor but this type of condenser may also be used for condensing of other metallic or non-metallic vapors, and as a heat recuperator in connection with heating furnaces.

In carrying out-my invention I provide an outer metallicshell or casing 1 which is lined with fire brick 2 or other suitable refractory material. At the bottom of the device is an extension 4 (see Figs. 3 and 4) in which is an inlet flue 5 leading from the electric furnace (not shown) or other furnace where the vapors of the zinc are produced. The inlet 5 communicates by means of laterally extending passages 6'with upwardly extending passages 7. The latter passages are formed'between a series ofver-' tical tubes 8 made preferably of fire clay'or silica tile; The preferred arrangement of these tubes is that shown in F ig.' 2 in which the tubes 8 alternate with the fiues 7 in both directions. Each tube 8 has a similar tube,

9 leading from'it to a passage '10, theflatterjfgr,

constituting an airpassage and being open at one end' for the escape of cooling air on .gas. H Communicating wlth thetop of 'ea ch'fof the tubes 8 is aninlet pipe 11' which leads from apipe '12, the pipe 12 in'turn com'- municating with a'large pipe"13,' which is connected with a fan or blower 14. Each? of said passages 10 may be connected to a suitable suction fan or exhaust (not'shown). At 15 in Fig. 4 I have showna tap hole for metallic zinc which may be closed by any. suitable closure 16, such as a other suitable material.

From the foregoing description of the plugof clay or various parts of the device the operation I thereof may be readily understood.

The zinc vapor coming from the furnace passes through the inlet 5 and into the laterally extending passages 6 and then upwardly. The fan is then set in motion and air is'caused to circulate through the cooling tubes 8 in a downward direction or in opposite direction to the flow of metallic vapor This air'then passes through tubes 9 to pas sages 10. The zinc vapor comes into contact with outside surfaces of cooling tubes 8 and tends to condense in liquid form.

The laterally extending passages 6 are slightly inclined toward the passage 5 and the latter passage is slightly inclined toward the tap hole 15, so that as the zinc is condensed it'flows toward the tap hole and may be withdrawn through the latter. It is obvious that the fan can be speeded up to force in more air or the openings into. the

air tubes 10 may be partially closed by any suitable means such as by the gate 10 shown in Fig. 3. Thus the supply of air may be regulated and hence the device may be adju'sted so as to meet the requirements for the most eflicient condensation of the zinc vapor. Since the coolin tubes are made of'refractory material t e device when once regulated is not as apt to get out of order as where'the cooling tubes are made of metal which will cool off quickly or heat up quickly. Thus the device is less subject to variation and re uires less adjustment of the cooling medium after the device is started. I

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modified form of the device. In this form the metaltopsand having inlet tubes 8 while extendin downwardly in the centers of the tubes are pipes .17 which communicate with a.- oommon pipe 18 leading to a large outlet pipe 19 similar to the pipe 13 in Fig. 2, and which is designed to communicate with the exhaust (not shown) The tubes in this instance-have an opening at-the topfor admission of cooling air or gas, and air is exhausted from bottom of refractory tubes by means of pipe 17, thence through I pipes 18 and 19 to exhaust fan or exhaust apparatus. This obviates the necessity of' providing special air chambers and auxiliary tubes such as those shown at 9 in Fig.

. 1. In this case as in the other the amount of with the surfaces of air or in F ig. 5.

air supplied to the coolin tubes 8 may be regulated so as to secure t e maximum ethc'iency of the device.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the device in which the shorter tube is the inlet tube and the longer tube the outlet tube, the air or other gaseous medium passing in an opposite direction to that shown In the condensing of zinc from the state of vapor trouble is experienced due to the condensing of zinc as dust or blue powder. One reason for the condensing of zinc as dust is that the zinc vapor comes intocontact with a comparatively cold vcondensing surface. In zinc condensers in present use there is no method of regulating accurately the supply of air or gas which cools the outside surface. In my type of zinc condenser the vapors are to be condensed by contact as cooled tubes. Thezinc vapors .to pass t rough the condenser in one direction and-the air or gas used for cooling. purposes to passthrough the condenser. in the opposite direction.

' This passingofzincfvapor and cooling air or gas in 'o'p osite directions is very important for t e following reason. As the cooling air or "as passes in opposite di- I rection to the z nc vapor, the temperature 'of'air or gas will gradually lncl'ease as it passes through the condenser from the temperature of air or gas supply at entrance to very nearly the temperature of the entering a zinc vapors on leaving the condenser. Therefore the temperature of the tubes or condensing surfaces for the zinc vapors will gradually increase from a temperature near that of the cooling air or gas supply at the outlet ofthe condenser to a temperature near thatperature gradually decreases from a temperature near that of the zinc vapor to a temperature near that of air or gas supply. Thus in a condenser of this type we will have a minimum formation of zinc dust or blue powder. The amount of cooling air or gas can be regulated to give best conditions for condensation.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction herein described by Way of illustration and that the form, size and proportion of the parts may be varied according to'character of material treated and scale of operations.

I claim 1. In a condenser for zinc vapors, an outer metallic casing, an inner refractory lining for said casing, a plurality of rows of cooling tubes disposed within said casing, the tubes of each row being spaced apart and the tubes of adjacent rows being in staggered relation, the corners of the tubes of one row abutting the corners of the tubes of the adjacent row, and the space between the tubes constituting passages for zinc vapor, and means for forcing a gaseous cooling medium throu h the cooling tubes, in auopposite direction to that of the zinc vapor.

2. In a condenser for zinc vapors, an

outer metallic casing, an inner refractory lining for said casing, a plurality of vertical rowsof cooling tubes disposed Within said casing, the tubes of each row being spaced apart and the tubes of adjacent rows being in staggered relation, the corners of the tubes in one row abutting the corners of the tubes in the adjacent row, the space between the tubes constituting assages for zinc vapor, means for intr ucing zinc vapor at the. bottom of the casing, and means for forcing a gaseous cooling medium downwardly through the cooling tubes.

MOSES APPELH Witnesses:

GoLnm I. NOON CHAS. P. NOON. 

